The purpose of this study is to learn how to better treat gonorrhea infections. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is usually cured with a single antibiotic. However, some gonorrhea is not cured with a single antibiotic. The study will look at how well treating gonorrhea with 2 antibiotics works. Participants will be assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups each receiving a combination of 2 antibiotics. Sites in the United States will recruit 500 male and female participants. Participants must be 15 to 60 years old, in good health and identified in participating sexually transmitted disease clinics as having uncomplicated cervical or urethral gonorrhea. Procedures include collection of current symptoms, medical and sexual history, sexual orientation, vital signs, height, weight, cervical/urethral cultures and clinical examinations. Volunteers will be involved for about 17 days.

Further study details as provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):

Primary Outcome Measures:

Microbiological Efficacy of Gentamicin and Azithromycin for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Gonococcal Infection [ Time Frame: 10-17 days after treatment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Percentage of enrollees negative by culture at cervix/urethra 10-17 days after treatment, regardless of history of re-exposure, among those with positive gonococcal cultures at enrollment (microbiological cure)

Microbiological Efficacy of Gemifloxacin and Azithromycin for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Gonococcal Infection [ Time Frame: 10-17 days after treatment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Percentage of enrollees negative by culture at cervix/urethra 10-17 days after treatment, regardless of history of re-exposure, among those with positive gonococcal cultures at enrollment (microbiological cure)

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Eradication of Rectal Infection [ Time Frame: 10-17 days after treatment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Number of enrollees with positive rectal culture at enrollment who have negative culture 10-17 days after treatment

Eradication of Pharyngeal Infection [ Time Frame: 10-17 days after treatment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Number of enrollees with positive pharyngeal culture at enrollment who have negative culture 10-17 days after treatment

Gemifloxacin 320 mg by mouth one time plus azithromycin 2 gm by mouth one time.

Drug: Azithromycin

Four 500 mg tablets will be administered orally to equal a 2 gm dose.

Drug: Gemifloxacin

One 320 mg tablet administered orally.

Experimental: Regimen A: gentamicin plus azithromycin

Gentamicin 240 mg intramuscular (IM) one time for patients greater than 45 kg or 5 mg/kg IM one time for patients less than or equal to 45 kg plus azithromycin 2 gm by mouth one time.

Drug: Azithromycin

Four 500 mg tablets will be administered orally to equal a 2 gm dose.

Drug: Gentamicin

Fixed dose of 240 mg intramuscular one time for patients >45 kg and a 5 mg/kg dose for patients less than or equal to 45 kg based on their measured weight in clinic. Most patients will require 2 injections of gentamicin in separate large muscle groups.

Detailed Description:

Infection with Neisseria (N.) gonorrhoeae carries a significant public health burden in the United States (U.S.). Gonococcal infection can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and increases the risk of transmission and acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). With over 350,000 cases of gonorrhea reported each year, gonorrhea is the second most common notifiable condition. Furthermore, it is estimated that case reports account for only half of the incident cases of gonorrhea in the U.S. each year. Given that gonorrhea is a bacterial infection which causes symptoms in approximately 90 percent of infected men and 50 percent of infected women, the most critical aspect of reducing the public health burden of gonorrhea for affected populations is provision of effective antimicrobial therapy. In order to identify treatment options for patients with suspect or confirmed cephalosporin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae infection and patients with severe cephalosporin hypersensitivity, this study plans to determine the efficacy of each of 2 combination antimicrobial regimens for the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infection. This study is a multicenter clinical trial of adult males and females diagnosed with urethral or cervical gonococcal infection. Subjects will be enrolled and randomized for treatment with either Regimen A: gentamicin 240 mg intramuscular (IM) one time for patients >45 kg or 5 mg/kg IM one time for patients less than or equal to 45 kg plus azithromycin 2 gm by mouth (PO) one time, or Regimen B: gemifloxacin 320 mg PO one time plus azithromycin 2 gm PO one time. Investigators hypothesize that Regimen A will have a clinical efficacy estimate that is greater than or equal to 95 percent as well as a lower, one-sided 95 percent confidence interval (CI 95 percent) bound that is greater than or equal to 90 percent. The identical hypothesis applies for Regimen B. It should be noted that this is not a comparative trial between Regimen A and B, but rather a trial to establish efficacy data for each of these two candidate regimens. The primary objective of this study is to determine the microbiological efficacy of each of two combination antimicrobial regimens for the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infection (i.e., non-systemic). Secondary objectives of this study are to: assess the safety and tolerability of each candidate regimen; assess the eradication of any rectal or pharyngeal gonococcal infection by each regimen; determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of all gonococcal strains isolated at the time of enrollment; determine the clinical and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of all gonococcal strains isolated from patients who fail treatment; and assess the efficacy of the candidate regimens on the resolution of symptoms and signs (clinical cure). The primary efficacy analysis will be based on microbiological cure rate at end of trial based on the modified intent-to-treat (MITT) and per protocol (PP) subsets. The number, percent, and a 95 percent one-sided (lower) confidence interval of microbiological cure rate successes and failures will be computed. Additional analyses will be conducted on the following subsets: male, female, men who have sex with men (MSM) status, and subjects denying anal, oral, or vaginal intercourse during the follow-up period. Secondary endpoints will include: separate analyses of: safety and tolerability of each regimen; eradication of rectal or pharyngeal infection; antimicrobial susceptibility profile of enrollment isolates; clinical and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of treatment failures; and resolution of

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

15 Years to 60 Years (Child, Adult)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Male or female from 15 - 60 years old.

Is either:

Untreated male or female with urethral or cervical gonorrhea as determined by a screening laboratory test [either Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) or culture] for Neisseria gonorrhoeae at a prior visit.

In the judgment of the interviewer, has a medical condition or other factor that might affect their ability to follow the protocol

Previous enrollment in this study

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00926796

Locations

United States, Alabama

University of Alabama Hospital - Infectious Diseases

Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35249-0001

United States, California

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Sexually Transmitted Disease Program